How to Access Care

How to Access Care

Emergency Care
An emergency is when you need immediate, live-saving care. Examples of an emergency include heart attack, stroke, major trauma, severe head injury, seizure, the loss of a limb, severe difficulty breathing (due to an allergic reaction or other cause), unconsciousness or severe bleeding or a high fever in infants under two months of age.

The fastest way to get help for a medical emergency is to call 911. For communities without 911 service, the front of the local phone book will list emergency numbers.

Urgent Care
Urgent care is when you need same-day treatment for a serious, unexpected health issue that is not life-threatening. Examples of urgent health issues include sprains and broken bones, eye irritation and redness, a cut that won't stop bleeding or you think might need stitches, a rash accompanied by a high fever, a high fever in a toddler or an infant over two months, minor asthma attacks, minor insect or dog bites, or diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration.

The fastest way to get urgent medical care is to call 911 or visit a local urgent care centre.

Emergency Medical Services
Emergency medical service (EMS) providers give pre-hospital care to people who are sick or injured. This includes timely and safe medical assessment, treatment, and transportation services to health care facilities. Paramedics provide a high level of care from the moment they reach a patient until they get to a health care facility. The fastest way to get help for a medical emergency is to call 911.

Primary Care
Your regular family doctor, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, local health clinic, a walk-in clinic or a QuickCare clinic can help you address mild or chronic headaches, back pain or stomach pain, minor cuts, bites or burns, colds, sore throat or sinus problems and ongoing health problems. They can also provide vaccinations, refer you to a specialist or order laboratory tests.

Family Doctor Finder
There is an easy way for you and your family to find a family doctor or nurse practitioner with Manitoba's Family Doctor Finder program. Simply call or register online and the Family Doctor Finder will help connect you with a health-care professional in your area that best meets your needs.

It's not always easy to decide whether you should visit a hospital emergency room, an urgent care centre or a local health clinic. Health Links-Info Santé is a telephone health information service staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by knowledgeable, experienced nurses and is free of charge everywhere in Manitoba. Call 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or 1-888-315-9257 toll-free elsewhere in the province.